Mudminnow River too sweet for me

all welcome! she needs more interactions. tag for mention!

it was a calm, early morning. the sun sat at the horizon, casting the land in gold and orange hues. her favorite time of day, purely for the beauty. the gentle sylph had awoken with a luxurious stretch, her mind lighter than it's been in weeks, months. @Cole was heavy on her mind, the mountain man a dream she wouldn't push away. 

a certain wistfulness she felt now with his encouragement. just a bit more confidence in her stride, and she held her head higher as she rest upon a slab of cold stone beside the river. in the grasp of winter it laid frozen, but the faint sound of water rested beneath. it eased her plight, a wistful, soft smile on her lips.

He had been tracking her for a while, keeping a respectful distance as her scent led him through the quiet, gold-touched morning. The sight of her, poised gracefully on the stone beside the river, made him pause. For a moment, he simply watched, his amber eyes studying her delicate frame and the quiet confidence that now seemed to shape her movements.

He approached slowly, his steps deliberate but soft against the frost-coated ground. When he was close enough, he spoke, his deep voice breaking the stillness without shattering it.

You shouldn’t wander during this season, he said firmly, though there was no edge to his tone, only concern. He stopped a few paces away, his amber gaze steady on her.

It’s not safe, he added, softer now. The unspoken worry in his words lingered between them as he looked at her, waiting for a response but ready to ensure her safety, whether she welcomed it or not.

a deep voice, one that had come to instill her with warmth, with wanting. with a turn of her head, the resting woman met him with a warm smile. one only he could pull from her, it seemed. "cole," she greeted with a sigh. her tone was warm, affectionate even. "good morning."

his concern warmed her heart. she arose from her perch and meandered over, lightly brushed against his side with a soft hum. she'd wear his scent now, hopefully a repellent toward any unwanted advances. "you're right," she murmured. with a soft giggle, she struggled to hide her amusement, her affection that his concern brought forth. 

"but this should hopefully solve that problem?" perhaps she was selfish, but she quite enjoyed wearing his scent. it was a warm cloak, one she'd wear for as long as possible.

When she brushed against his side, his breath hitched—a subtle, unbidden reaction. Her affection, so freely given, stirred something raw and instinctive within him.

Mild alarm prickled at the edges of his thoughts, but it wasn’t enough to push her away. Instead, with an almost unconscious motion, his forepaw moved to rear her closer, a firm but careful gesture that left no room for misinterpretation. He kept her taut, his frame steady, as though instinct demanded he anchor her there.

Why’d you come out here so far? he asked, his voice low, but there was a trace of something more—concern, curiosity, and the faintest edge of possessiveness.

His gaze softened slightly as he studied her, but his grip remained, the primal need to protect her holding firm against the rational thoughts stirring in his mind.

there it was. something in cole's tone that made her heart pitter and patter, as if there was a butterfly trapped between her ribs. an inkling of something she'd heard before; a possessiveness that she once feared. her old fiancé saw her as property. something to be kept and to show off, but not to love. 

but she didn't fear it, not with cole. quite the opposite; it was such a funny feeling. one that made her bashful. skin beneath willowy fur burned hotter, despite the bitter cold. a feeling that made her chest bloom with a warm, fuzzy feeling. 

she hadn't felt this way since...long ago. since the first time she'd found herself falling for a man who only wished to hurt her, to cage her.

she's thinking too much. she knows she should step away, to put space between them, but...she's greedy for the touch and attention she never received. she leans against his tall, strong form, breathes in shakily as his warmth envelops her. she's daring—or perhaps foolish—enough to press her nose into his fur. 

"i...i don't really know." she murmured quietly, voice muffled in his fur. another breath in, and her eyes shyly flicker upward to seek his. searching his. "maybe because i'm foolish, and i wanted to see if you'd find me."

"is that...a bad thing, cole?" she asked shyly.